Justice, culture and the political determinants of indigenous Australian health

Abstract

Indigenous Australian health is distinguished by a median age of death in the order of 20 years less than that of the non-indigenous population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009). This makes Australia unique among comparable post-colonial societies in failing to make substantive reductions to the indigenous/non-indigenous health differential. Relatively poor indigenous housing, educational attainment, labour market participation and access to traditional resources for economic purposes contribute to the differential. These contributing variables have an inherently political character which is integral to examining the just distribution of public authority, the purpose of political activity, equal political participation and cultural responsiveness in the provision of health services as important theoretical considerations in reducing cross-cultural inequities in the burden of disease.

First Nations Peoples’ Participation in the Development of Population-Wide Food and Nutrition Policy in Australia: A Political Economy and Cultural Safety Analysis

“…First Nations academics argue that cultural imperialism, institutional failure and unequal distribution of power and opportunities for political participation have produced policies which contribute to health inequity for Aboriginal people. 19 - 21 Moreover, the absence of a treaty or constitutional arrangements guaranteeing Aboriginal people a political ‘voice’ to public institutions sets Australia apart from similar Western colonised nations when it comes to the rights of First Nations peoples. 19 The United Nations (Article 18) has affirmed that:…”

“… 19 - 21 Moreover, the absence of a treaty or constitutional arrangements guaranteeing Aboriginal people a political ‘voice’ to public institutions sets Australia apart from similar Western colonised nations when it comes to the rights of First Nations peoples. 19 The United Nations (Article 18) has affirmed that:…”

Aboriginal medical services cure more than illness: a qualitative study of how Indigenous services address the health impacts of discrimination in Brisbane communities

“…The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous wellbeing is similarly reflected in housing, water safety, and education resulting in a continuous cycle of ill-health and contributing determinants [ 9 – 13 ]. O’Sullivan states that “Equal access to good health is a mark of equal worth” and this persistent experience of lower standards of health highlights the institutionalised marginalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia [ 14 ].…”

Organized Violence and Organized Abandonment Beyond the Human: the Case of Brucellosis among Palestinians in Israel

“…Progressive scholars are leading discussions on decolonizing health care and reparation as tool to achieving health equity ( 62 , 63 ). If we want to move forward with the eradication of HB among Palestinians, it is crucial to move beyond blaming marginalized and colonized communities for their behaviors or cultures, in itself an act of symbolic violence, and address the historical injustices toward humans and goats.…”